For Now
by bluesimageburgundy
Summary: Since she says that she still hates him, Stefan is happy that Caroline asked him to go with her to find the perfect Christmas tree. Unfortunately for him, his mind keeps wandering and he can't keep his eyes off of her. Will he ruin his chance to earn back her friendship? Steroline. Season 6.


Stefan Salvatore was having a little bit of a problem. The problem being that he was supposed to be helping his best friend pick out a Christmas tree, but he couldn't keep his eyes off of said girl for long enough to look at anything else. He was hypnotized, distracted and his head was foggy. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt something like this. And seeing as she was his best friend, it was even weirder.

Caroline Forbes was as oblivious as she was beautiful, swaying her hips in front of him, reaching out here and there to touch an evergreen branch as they passed. Stefan's eyed the curve of her hips and the swell of her ass in skin tight jeans. The thick muscles of her thighs and calves. Why she'd chosen jeans that were basically painted-on tonight, he didn't know. And he didn't know whether to rejoice or curse the heavens.

See, they were having a little bit of a relationship issue as of late. Between him abandoning her for four months and the little secret about her feelings for him being let out of the bag, it was amazing that they were even here together at all. His head was a mess and he could safely assume that hers was as well. He actually had no idea how confused he really was about Caroline until this moment, as he barely contained his lust for her while desperately trying to hide it so as not to complicate things. Yeah, he was definitely a mess. She'd asked him to come with her tonight as a last resort. She said she still hated him for now.

"Bonnie's home" she'd said, "We have to get a tree this year." He'd smiled when she said that. Having a tree for Bonnie's return was a top priority for her. Everyone else was busy tending to Bonnie now that she was back home, so Stefan had been the last option. Or else that's what Caroline had told him. Told herself. It wasn't that she wanted to spend time with him alone. It couldn't be that.

And now his wandering eye and mind was trying to ruin this chance he'd been given. He swallowed hard as he watched her turn to check out a tree to her right. He eyed the slope of her stomach and the curves of her breasts in a tight navy blue cashmere sweater. He allowed himself to indulge in a quick fantasy about walking up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. Feeling the soft sweater and flat tummy beneath it, her sweet blonde curls in his face and her perfect round behind on the front of his pants. Gently removing the red scarf from her creamy neck and pressing his lips against the skin there before sinking his fangs in while pulling her back against him.

"What do you think about this one?" she asked, breaking him out of of his daydream and startling him.

He gulped and ran a hand through his hair, "Oh, I, uhh, yeah, it's okay but...I think we need a bigger one," he stammered, glancing over the tree that Caroline was pointing to.

Caroline raised an eyebrow at his obviously strange behavior.

"You think we need a bigger one?" she asked, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Yeah," he said, "A bigger one." He walked past her, deciding that he needed a different view if he was going to be of any help at all.

Caroline stayed in place and watched him pass.

"Ooookay," she said, walking to catch up and walk next to him.

Which turned out to be just as bad, if not worse.

Because now he could smell her so much more. The sweet cupcake of her lotion, the lavender and peppermint of her shampoo and the cinnamon of her mouthwash over the hint of blood from her last meal.

And he could feel her. The heat coming off of her soft, sweater-clad arms. The jolts of electricity as she accidentally brushed against him. Could she feel that too? If she could, she made no indication of it. She just glanced from side to side in the forest of evergreens, looking for the perfect Christmas tree.

She stopped in front of a tall, fat one and then circled it. Stefan watched her every move. She reappeared around the back of the giant tree, before dropping down in front of it. She balanced on the balls of her feet as she squatted to check out the trunk. Stefan took in the porcelain skin of her back as her sweater inched upward, and the tiniest glimpse of her pink thong from the top of her jeans. He barely contained the growl that wanted to slip out of his lips. He felt the blood surging through his body and squeezed his eyes shut as he imagined running his tongue all over the buffet he saw before him.

"Yeah, I think this one's good," Caroline said, standing and facing Stefan, who was noticeably flustered.

"Yeah, that one's a good one, it's..uh..a keeper," he agreed with a shaky voice, happy that his long black pea coat was covering the front of his pants.

"Okay, what's going on with you?!" Caroline pressed, stepping closer to stand in front of him, "You're acting like a weirdo."

"Am I?" he asked, nervously, "I'm sorry." He glanced around, hoping for the earth to open up around him and swallow him whole to avoid the awkwardness of him being obviously caught red-handed.

"Stefan Salvatore," she scolded, just the sound of his name on her lips enough to send a little shiver through him, "Spill. What's up?" she demanded.

He took a took breath and sighed. He was this close to having his best friend back. Why couldn't that be enough for now?

"Nothing," he started, "I guess, I'm just...distracted or something. I don't know." He scuffed some dirt around with his black boots.

"Distracted by what?" she asked, "The dirt? There's nothing else out here besides the trees and OBVIOUSLY you aren't paying any attention to them." She fussed, but smiled playfully.

Stefan focused on her face and how beautiful it was when she smiled. He never realized how much he missed her smiles until the next time he got to see one. Then he wondered how he'd gone so long without one.

She seemed to notice his concentration on her and paused a moment, thinking about their trek through the woods. As if she was putting together a puzzle.

"Stefan..." she said, stepping toward him another step and looking up at him with her big blue eyes, "What's distracting you?"

She asked it with seriousness in her voice. Weight. Danger. Like the answer was something very important. And she already knew what it was.

Stefan smiled shyly as he watched realization cross her face. Watched her try not to show it.

"You," he admitted, running his eyes all over her freely like he'd wanted to do all night.

Caroline sucked in a breath and squeezed her eyes shut as Stefan devoured her with his eyes, desire pouring over her along with his gaze.

When she opened her eyes, Stefan had all but closed the distance between them and was staring at her with his intense green eyes. She knew he couldn't touch her. He would be feeling like he'd already done too much tonight. Had pushed her too far. She knew him like the back of her hand. That came in useful sometimes. She knew it was her move. If she wanted to make it. She raised her hand toward his face.

"Did you kids find one you like?" yelled a voice, from behind a row of trees.

Oh yeah, turns out they weren't the only two people on Earth. Although that's what it felt like two seconds ago.

Caroline pulled back her hand and took a step back. Stefan lowered his eyes in disappointment and looked away.

"Yea-yes," Caroline yelled back with a shaky voice. She cleared her throat and tried again, "Yes, we did! We're over here!"

She glanced at Stefan and then dropped her face into her hands. What were they about to do?

The nice old man cut their perfect tree for them, they paid him and Stefan tied it onto the top of the car. Once they were loaded back into the car themselves, they both began to realize what had happened in the woods. What was about to happen.

"Caroline," Stefan started, turning down Christmas music on the radio and glancing between Caroline and the road ahead, "I'm sorry for that out there."

Caroline looked up, surprised by his voice and words.

"You're sorry?" she asked, confused, "For what?"

"For being...inappropriate with you," he clarified, gripping the wheel a little tighter on the word inappropriate as images danced through his mind.

Caroline blushed as she thought about Stefan thinking about her that way.

"It's okay, you weren't," she assured him, knowing that Stefan's guilt always got the better of him.

"After everything, that I did, that I...know," he said, "I'm lucky that you even asked me to come with you tonight. That you're considering letting me be your friend again. I don't have the right to think of you that way. To look at you that way."

Blood coursed through her veins at his words. She wanted to know exactly what he had been looking at and what he'd been thinking of. She didn't want to let this conversation go. To let his guilt ruin everything.

"What way, Stefan?" she asked, in a breathy whisper.

His eyes darted over to hers and his mouth fell open, wanting instinctively to spill its secrets. But, instead, he closed his lips and turned his eyes back to the road.

A moment of silence passed through the car as they were lost in their own thoughts of one another. Each living out things with the other that they felt they couldn't outside of their dreams.

They arrived back at campus and Stefan parked in front of her dorm and turned off the car. The tension in the air was thick.

"Thanks," she said, "For going with me tonight."

Stefan smiled, "No problem. I know it means a lot to you for Bonnie to have a great Christmas after everything she's been through. And it means a lot to me too. And I'm glad you asked me to come."

Caroline smiled sweetly, the awkward tension dissipating and the ease of their friendship returning. While other tension still hung around them like fog.

They remained seated in the car for no reason. As if they were both waiting for something that they were sure wasn't going to happen. But they still couldn't make themselves go inside.

Caroline made the mistake of looking at Stefan. Those eyes were on her again. Eying her lips hungrily. She drew a ragged breath.

"Caroline..." Stefan said. It was a warning. A speak now or forever hold your peace. He was giving her every opportunity not to do this.

Caroline smiled mischievously as his warm breath tickled her lips.

"They're back with the tree!" They heard Elena shout giddily from the front door to the building.

Stefan and Caroline jumped away from each other like they were live wire. They looked at each other, panicked, nearly caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

Caroline fumbled with the handle and all but jumped out of the car.

"Awww, perfect tree, guys," said Bonnie, her voice still tired and weak.

"Bonnie Sheila Bennett! What are you doing out here?" Caroline scolded, wrapping an arm around Bonnie's shoulders and leading her back toward the building.

Stefan stepped out of the car and smiled, watching Caroline mother her friend.

Bonnie laughed, "I'm okay, Caroline. Really. I just wanted to see the tree first thing. I'll go right back to bed, I promise."

Caroline narrowed her eyes, "Okay, but RIGHT back to bed."

She caught Stefan smiling at her and looked away shyly. Bonnie seemed to notice the interaction and arched an eyebrow at Caroline, who shook her head and rolled her eyes. Bonnie smiled knowingly but didn't press the issue.

"You girls need help getting the tree in?" Stefan offered, untying it from the roof of Caroline's car.

"No!" Caroline said, too quickly, before quieting herself, "No, no thank you. We can get it. Thanks, Stefan."

Bonnie turned her head away to hide her amused smile. Elena looked between them, confused.

Stefan laughed, "Okay, okay, I know where I'm not needed."

Caroline winced as he turned to walk toward his bike. Watching him walk away from her was beginning to be physically painful. She weighed her options before acting.

"Elena, will you please take Miss 'doesn't-listen-to-doctor's-orders' back inside? I'll be right up with the tree and we can get started stringing the lights," she said, trying to get rid of them as nicely and discreetly as possible.

"Sure, Caroline," Elena said, obviously suspicious but willing to do as Caroline asked. Bonnie rolled her eyes as Elena led her back inside.

Caroline watched them disappear behind the closed door before running to catch up to Stefan as he threw a leg over his bike.

"Hey," he said, "What's u-"

Caroline interrupted him by wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing her chest against his and her lips against his cheek. It wasn't exactly what they were both thinking about earlier. But it was enough to quench some aching thirst they had to just be physically connected.

Caroline nuzzled her nose into the crook of Stefan's neck and he made a little hum of approval. She let out a contented sigh. It had been so long since they had hugged. It felt different now. It felt like so much more.

Reluctantly, she removed herself from him and took a step back. He gripped the handles of his motorcycle for something to do with his hands.

"So, we're friends again?" Stefan asked, hopefully.

"I guess. Is that...okay?" Caroline asked, the question meaning something entirely different than how it sounded, but Stefan understood. Not friends as opposed to enemies, but friends as opposed to...more than friends.

"Yeah, Caroline, it's great. It's perfect. For now," he said, with a playful smile. That "for now" held all kinds of promise and made Caroline's cheeks flush and smile widen. She watched as Stefan cranked his bike and drove away.

"Caroline! Come on, let's do the lights!" yelled Elena, out the dorm window.

Caroline held her cool fingers to her hot cheeks and smiled. She had all of her best friends back and a tree to decorate. And that was enough. At least for now.


End file.
